The Deep Dive Video for “Responding to a Sources Sought: Ghosting Your Response To Influence The Acquisition” teaches government contractors how to use sources sought as a strategic pre-acquisition tool to win government contracts by influencing acquisition decisions before RFP release. Deep Dive Videos are 1+ hour in length and represent the most comprehensive training videos available in the Federal Sales Training Center. This video challenges the conventional approach where most small businesses focus 80% of effort on RFP response, when they should instead invest heavily in positioning during pre-acquisition, which includes sources sought – the optimal moment to shape requirements and win government contracts through strategic ghosting of capabilities and competitive weaknesses.

The resource covers three critical objectives for sources sought responses: differentiating your company, marginalizing competition, and influencing acquisition strategy through “ghosting” – strategically embedding your strengths and competitor weaknesses into government requirements. Through detailed examples, the video demonstrates how to ghost your company’s strengths and your competitor’s weaknesses. Practical guidance addresses when to answer questions, when to skip questions, how to make recommendations even when not requested, and why submitting after the due date remains viable. By understanding that sources sought responses are negotiations rather than compliance exercises, professionals learn to maximize their ability to influence government acquisition decisions and win government contracts through intentional, strategic positioning before the formal solicitation occurs.